Labour faces Green fight in crucial London by-election

Labour has launched its campaign to hold Holborn and St Pancras, with candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali promising to put children, families and housing at the heart of her bid. But standing in her way is Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is aiming for a dramatic breakthrough in one of Labour’s safest seats.

The by-election is scheduled for October 8 following Sir Keir Starmer’s departure from front-line politics to focus on a role in international affairs. The contest is already shaping up as a major battle over housing, homelessness, family support and the cost of living.

Abdi-Wali, 42, launched her campaign on Saturday alongside local MPs Georgia Gould and Florence Eshalomi. She said she wants families in the constituency to have the same “security and opportunity” her own family received after arriving in Britain as child refugees in the early 1990s, fleeing the civil war in Somalia.

She has lived in the London Borough of Camden for 35 years. She previously served as the council’s cabinet member for Better Homes before becoming leader of Camden Council in 2026.

If she wins, Abdi-Wali would make history as the first British-Somali woman to serve as an MP in the UK. Yet her route to Westminster now faces a direct challenge from Polanski, who has selected the central London seat for his own parliamentary bid.

Housing is already emerging as one of the fiercest battlegrounds. Abdi-Wali is pointing to her record in Camden, including investment in and improvements to council homes, while Polanski has made affordable housing and rent controls central to his Green campaign.

Abdi-Wali also highlighted measures she backed while in local government, including Camden’s Pregnancy Grant for eligible parents. She pointed to the rollout of free breakfasts for children across the borough, with ten local schools already benefiting from the scheme.

Tackling homelessness is another priority for the Labour candidate — an issue she shares with Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

“Camden gave my family a home, hope, and opportunity when we needed it most. I’ve never forgotten that,” Abdi-Wali said, adding that she had spent her life trying to give the same hope back to the community.

She said she wants every child growing up in the constituency and every family living there to have “that same security and opportunity”. Her pitch includes more affordable homes, greater support for families and ensuring every child gets the “best possible start in life”.

“I’m proud of what we’ve delivered together in Camden, but I know there is so much more to do,” she said. “Labour’s campaign is about bringing our community together to make hope win in Holborn and St Pancras.”

Polanski is promising voters a sharply different choice. He said his own experience of repeatedly moving between flats was “such a common story for Londoners” and claimed many people in Holborn and St Pancras are struggling.

“Greens are underdogs here but we have the momentum,” Polanski said, insisting the party could achieve a “historic victory” in a Labour stronghold.

His campaign will focus on lowering bills, much more affordable housing and rent controls, alongside reducing “massive wealth inequality”. He also pledged to pressure Labour over climate policy, including opposition to allowing more North Sea drilling.

Polanski said he would fight “against injustice and on the side of ordinary people, not big money and the powerful” if elected.

The clash now sets up a high-stakes test for Labour in a constituency where housing and family security are taking centre stage. With October 8 approaching, Abdi-Wali must defend Labour’s hold while Polanski attempts to turn Green momentum into an extraordinary Westminster breakthrough.

Labour launch campaign in crunch London by-election against the Greens